Community Court's Caseload To Increase

Starting In Early January, Most Cases That Would Be Heard In West Hartford Will Be Referred To Hartford.

December 07, 2001|By JOHNNY MASON; Courant Staff Writer

The decision to add an estimated 2,000 new cases to the Hartford Community Court has upset neighborhood leaders who say the move will overcrowd the court and diminish its ability to deter crime in city neighborhoods.

``We fought so hard for this court. It's not right,'' community activist Hyacinth Yennie said of judicial officials. ``It's totally inappropriate. They just do this and don't consider the neighborhoods. Come on, give us a little more respect.''

Chief Court Administrator Joseph H. Pellegrino said the move will not overburden the city court. He asked residents to remain calm while the regional plan is being worked out.

``This is going to be okay. They have the best advocate in Ray Norko,'' said Pellegrino, referring to Judge Raymond Norko, a leading catalyst of the court and now its presiding judge. ``Believe me, it's doable.''

Pellegrino recently decided to close the West Hartford Superior Court because it is underused and costly to run. It has been serving West Hartford, Avon, Canton, Farmington and Bloomfield.

Starting in early January, most cases that would be typically heard in the West Hartford court will be referred to the G.A. 14 criminal court in Hartford or the community court in Hartford.

Judicial officials estimate more than 2,000 cases could be referred to community court. Norko said with cooperation, regionalizing the court can work.

The three-year-old community court at 80 Washington St. near the Hartford criminal and civil courthouses was made possible through a $2.1 million federal grant through the Comprehensive Communities Partnership Program, of which Hartford is a member.

The court was established as a way of adjudicating cases that contribute to the deterioration of neighborhoods. People charged with nonviolent misdemeanor offenses and municipal ordinance violations appear in the court within 48 hours of their arrest and serve their punishment by performing community service.

The idea was to make offenders accountable to the judicial system and community where their crime was committed.

Having offenders do community service in the neighborhoods where they committed the crimes has restored public confidence in the criminal justice system and reduced crime in the neighborhoods, said community activist Jackie Fongemie.

``I just don't like it. We've worked hard to get this for the city of Hartford,'' Fongemie said.

About 20 community leaders and organizers met Thursday with state Sen. Eric D. Coleman, who is co-chairman of the General Assembly's judiciary committee.

The group expressed its displeasure and asked for him to call for a public hearing, which he agreed to do.

The court has handled nearly 22,660 cases since it opened in November 1998, assigned more than 84,500 hours of community service work, referred about 1,000 cases to a mediation program and provided 6,500 people with substance abuse treatment, counseling, mental health services or job training.

Matt Hennessy, chief of staff to Mayor Eddie A. Perez, who was at the meeting Thursday, said city officials are concerned with having to pay for health and social service costs for suburban residents.

The city spent $1.3 million for computers and furnishings to cover the first nine months of non-judicial staff salaries. The city spends about $400,000 for the health and social services.